Curtin University is celebrating the election of two of its most influential researchers to the Australian Academy of the Humanities, marking a major national recognition of their leadership and impact.
John Curtin Distinguished Professor Katie Ellis and Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker are among 30 new Fellows appointed for 2025, the highest honour awarded in the humanities field across Australia. The accolade recognises individuals whose work has significantly shaped Australia’s cultural understanding, identity and global perspective.
Professor Ellis, Director of Curtin’s Centre for Culture and Technology, is internationally regarded for her pioneering research on disability, media and popular culture. With more than 100 publications, including 19 books, her work focuses on media accessibility, digital inclusion and ensuring technology serves people with disability. Her research continues to inform public policy, industry practice and community engagement.
Professor Kickett-Tucker, a respected Wadjuk-Ballardong-Yued scholar, educator and children’s author, was recognised for her decades-long contribution to Aboriginal community development. Her research explores racial identity, self-esteem and cultural belonging among Aboriginal children and young people, and she has been a key figure in developing culturally grounded research methods reflecting Aboriginal worldviews.
Curtin Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne said both scholars embody the purpose of the Academy: to deepen national understanding of culture, history and identity. “Both Professor Ellis and Professor Kickett-Tucker are widely respected leaders in their fields, and their contributions have greatly expanded Australia’s understanding of the world and our priorities for the future,” she said.
The Australian Academy of the Humanities Fellowship is awarded to scholars whose work has made a lasting contribution across disciplines including culture, history, languages, heritage and media.
